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` A. T. WELLES. CABLE TERMINAL ATTACHMENT.

Patented July 7, 1896.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR T. VELLES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR TO TllE VESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CABLE-TERMINAL ATTACHNI ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 563,342, dated J' uly7, 1896.

Application led March 3, 1896.

To @ZZ whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR T. IVELLES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cable TerminalAttachments, (Case No. 1,) of which the following is a full, clear,concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingi o drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for distributing electric wires,andmore particularly to the contacts of such wires with strongcurrent-fuses at the ends of cables.

I'Ieretofore various forms of terminals have been employed forconnecting the individual insulated Wires of a cable with thecorresponding distributing-wires.

One of the well-known forms of cable-ter- 2o minals consists of an ironbox provided with insulated binding-posts or couplers inserted throughthe sides thereof, so that the wires of the cable may be connectedthrough said couplers with corresponding distributingwires.

It has been common heretofore to place between each coupler and itsdistributing or line wire a safety-fuse or some form of lightning orstrong current-arrester for the purpose of 3o preventing accidentalcurrents, which maybe of abnormal volume or of undue electric stress,from injuring the cable.

One style of strong current-arrester consists, essentially, of a stripof soft metal which will fuse when a current of undue stress passesthrough it, thus severing the connection between the line and cablewires.

Since cable-terminals are, generally spealc ing, the weakest part ofcables on account of 4o the fact that they are exposed to changes oftemperature and the moisture of the atmosphere, it is very necessarythat all metallic connections between the cable-wires and theircorresponding distributing wires be thoroughly insulated.

The object of my invention is to improve the insulation of theconnections of these arresters with the distributing-wires, and,generally speaking, consists in certain details 5o of construction ofcable-terminal attachments or strips, in the means of mounting the ar-Serial No. 581,671. (No model.)

resters or fuses thereon, and in the insulation of the connecting-blocksthereof.

In the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative of my invention,Figure 1 is a side 5 5 elevation of a portion of a cable-terminalprovided with my improved attachments or strips. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview thereof upon line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional viewshowing the connecting-blocks of the 6o strip insulated and the means ofsecuring the strips to the iron box of the terminal. Fig.

4 is an enlarged detail view showing the manner of mounting thesafety-fuses upon the strip.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout theseveral figures.

The couplers a a, inserted through the sides of the iron box of theterminal, are of wellknown construction, each consisting of a rub- 7ober sleeve surrounding a metal pin or screw provided with nuts at theouter and inner ends for securing the ends of the wires thereto. Ipreferably provide, in connection with each coupler, a line-spring Z),which connectswith the safety-fuse o, as shown.

The form of safety-fuse illustrated consists of a sleeve or tube ofinsulating material, a fibrous composition, called vulcanite, beingusually employed, within which is 8o placed a glass tube, through whichtube the fusible wire d is inserted. The fusible wire is connected atits upper end with the metallic piece d', and at its lower end with themetallic piece cl2. A pin e is inserted through the lower portion of theinsulating-sleeve and the metallic piece d2 to hold the latter in place.The rubber strips or pieces f g, after the connecting-blocks h are inplace, are bolted together, as shown, and by means of 9o a rubber stripfr' the insulating material 7a, which is flowed in between the sidepieces f g to thoroughly insulate the blocks 7L, is held in place.

Strips or pieces l are provided for closing up the opening at the endsbetween pieces f and g. The piece at the edgei being removed, and ablank being inserted to iill the space occupied by the projecting lug orvflange m, the insulating material, melted so as to be in roo liquidform, is flowed in about the metal blocks h to iill the spaces remainingbetween the rubber side pieces f g, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. Itwill thus be seen that the metal blocks h, each provided with a binding-post, and adapted to receive a safety-fuse, will be inclosed in ahard-rubber case and the space between said blocks iilled with aninsulating substance which will not melt when subjected to summer heat.Any insulating material that may be conveniently melted, and which willnot become liquid, so as to iiow at a temperature, say, less than 120Fahrenheit, may be employed. I have used a mixture of resin and beeswax.

As shown in Fig. 4, it will be observed that the ends of the metal pin ccome below the upper surface of the rubber side piece g of theattachment, all liability to accidental electrical connections beingthus obviated. As shown most clearly in Fig. 2, it will be seen that bymeans of a coupler a, a linespring Z), a safety-fuse c, a metallic block7L, and a binding-post a connection may be made between a wire of thecable and a corresponding distributing-wire, while the insulation of theintermediate connecting parts is made reliable, and liability to faultsor accidental electrical connections therewith prevented. Each block his provided with a screw-thread adapted to receive the correspondingscrew of a safety-fuse, and on each block is also provided abinding-post n for attachment of a line-wire. This binding-post, it willbe observed, consists of a screw inserted through the metal of the blockand a corresponding hole in the rubber plate g. Above the rubber plate gthere is closely iitted upon the screw a section of rubber tubing, abovewhich are placed the nuts and washers for securing the end of the properdistributing-wire.

Prior to my invention the distributing-wire had been connected directlyto the metal block by means of a screw inserted directly in the block.These connecting-blocks had been placed upon strips of vulcanite, noinsulatin g-cover having been provided for them, and no insulatingcompound having been placed between them, thus leaving these metal partsand connections exposed. By my invention all these parts are protectedfrom mechanical injury, and at the same time thoroughly insulated, whilethe strip as a whole is made more compact than heretofore.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination in a cable-terminal attachment with the safety-fuseto one end of which a coupler of the terminal is connected,

of a connecting-block h into which the safetyfuse is inserted, saidsafety-fuse being provided with a metallic pin e which is covered by therubber side piece g when inserted in the block, the block being providedwith a binding-post n and insulated by insulating material 7c iiowedabout the same, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a cable-terminal attachment, the combination with aseries ofmetallic connectingblocks h, each provided with a binding-post, and eachadapted to receive a safety-plug, of the inclosing case of hard-rubberinsulating material, and an insulating substance flowed in about saidblocks to fill the spaces remaining between the rubber side pieces ofsaid case, said insulating material being adapted to remain solid whenthe attachment is cxposed.

3. An electric-cable-terminal attachment or strip consisting,essentially, in the combination with connecting-blocks, of a casing ofinsulating material having plates fg above and below said blocks, aninsulating compound iilling the space remaining within said case, andmeans for connecting the safetyfuses and the di stributing-wires,respectively, with said blocks, substantially as described.

4. A connecting-block with which a safetyfuse is connected, and abinding-post consisting of a screw attached to said block and passingthrough a hole in a plate of insulating material, and a section ofrubber tubing above said plate, combined with the nuts and washers abovethe same, whereby the connection of the distributing-wire is made at adistance from the block, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination with an electric-cable attachment havingconnecting-blocks h /f placed upon the base thereof and insulated onefrom another, of the rubber plate g placed over said blocks and havingopenings which register with screw-holes tapped out in said blocks,safety-fuses, one for each block, inserted through said openings, themetallic portions of the inserted ends of said fuses being below thesurface of said rubber plate, and the insulating-sleeves of said fusesclosely fitting said openings, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day ofFebruary, A. D. i896.

ARTI'HTR T. WELLES. Witnesses:

GEORGE P. BARTON, MINA L. SwAn'rwoUT.

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